Roll feed micro-adjustment indicator

ABSTRACT

A device is provided to assist in more accurately adjusting material roll feeds used in conjunction with industrial presses. In combination with known roll feed adjusting means is provided a digital indicator which facilitates visual observation of roll feed adjustments in increments of one thousandth of an inch or the like.

United States Patent Burtch et al.

ROLL FEED MICRO-ADJUSTMENT INDICATOR Inventors: Kurt A. Burtch, Middleville; James A. Lewis, Hastings, both of Mich.

Assignee: Gulf & Western Manufacturing Company, Southfield, Mich.

Filed: July 15, 1974 Appl. No.: 488,811

US. Cl 226/100; 226/142 B65h 17/22 Field of Search 226/142, 100

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1967 Swendsen 226/100 [451 Aug. 19, 1975 3,368,437 2/1968 Bennet 226/142 Primary ExaminerRichard A. Schacher Attorney, Agent, or FirmMeyer, Tilberry & Body [57] ABSTRACT A device is provided to assist in more accurately adjusting material roll feeds used in conjunction with industrial presses. In combination with known roll feed adjusting means is provided a digital indicator which facilitates visual observation of roll feed adjustments in increments of one thousandth of an inch or the like.

13 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEU AUG 1 91975 SHIT 1 BF 4 PATENTEU Am: 1 9 1915 F9 Sllphi PATENTED AUG] 9 I975 'sm 3 OF 4 ROLL FEED MICROADJUSTMENT INDICATOR BACKGROUND Roll feed adjusting means, such as shown in the patents to Crane et 211., US. Pat. No. 2,821,388 and to Balunas et al., US. Pat. No. 3,493,159, are for the purpose of feeding stock into an industrial press in predetermined lengths so that sufficient stock, and no more, is fed into the press in timed relationship with the working portion of the stroke of the press. It is also important that the stock not only be fed into the press in synchronization with the press stroke, but that it also be fed accurately. In the case of strip feed press operations the same accurately measured length of strip must be fed into the press for each work stroke. When roll feeds tend to under-feed or over-feed, adjustments must be made, and devices such as the Crane and Balunas patents disclose two prior art embodiments of such adjusting means. However, heretofore, although the means for adjusting roll feeds have been available, the means for easily and accurately determining the amount of an adjustment has been lacking from these prior art devices. Thus, it is important that, when an adjustment is to be made to a roll feed, the operator know instantly and accurately how much he is either advancing or retarding the feed of the strip into the press.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a roll feed adjustment indicator which will facilitate the adjusting of roll feeds by providing a read-out in an easily observable manner. It is another object of this invention to provide a digital read-out of the amount of adjustment which is being made in increments of one thousandth of an inch, or comparable linear units. It is a further object of this invention to provide a digital read-out indicator in which a base reference for additional roll feed adjustments is easily ascertainable.

To accomplish the foregoing and other related objects, the invention comprises the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawings and the following description setting forth in detail certain structure embodying the invention, such structure being merely illustrative of various forms in which the principal of the invention may be practiced.

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of an air driven roll feed micro-adjustment mechanism used in association with an industrial press and in combination with a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the Figures, and in particular to FIG. ll, it will be seen that a press crank shaft has an eccentric 12 secured to one end. A connecting rod 14 is pivotally secured in its upper end 16 to eccentric l2, and pivotally secured at its lower end 18 to a lug 20 projecting from a rocker member 22. The rocker member 22 is pivotally mounted on pin 24 secured to the frame 26 of the press. An air motor 28 is drivingly connected to an adjusting screw 30 by means of spur gears 32 and 34-. The adjusting screw 30 in turn is threadedly fastened to adjusting block 36 mounted to slide in ways 38 of rocker member 22. A stub shaft 40 is integral with and extends from adjusting block 36 to pivotally carry the upper end 42 of a rack 44. The lower end 46 of rack 44 makes engagement with a pinion 48 adapted to drive roll 50 of a set of feed rolls 5052. A digital read-out mechanism is indicated in phantom at 54, and is evenly positioned on the axis of pin 24 to minimize the movement of the digital read-out face during operation of the roll feed.

During a work cycle, press crank shaft 10 rotates to reciprocate connecting rod 14, which reciprocates rocker member 22 about mounting pin 24. Rack 44 is, in turn, vertically reciprocated to rotate pinion 48 and thus drive roll 50 to index stock between feed rolls 50 and 52. In order to adjust the advance of the stock between rolls 50 and 52, an air motor 28 is activated to rotate adjusting screw 30, which, by so rotating, shifts adjusting block 36 either to the right or to the left responsive to the direction of drive of the air motor 28. Depending on the direction in which the adjusting block 36 is shifted, the stroke of rack 44 will be either shortened or lengthened to rotate drive roll 50 through a greater or lesser angle of rotation.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, it will be observed that digital indicator 54 is provided with a digital read-out dial face 55 having visual digital indicators 56 which can be set up to represent any increment of measure, and, in the preferred embodiment, will read in terms of thousandths of an inch. However, by appropriate modifications, well understood by those skilled in the art, the read-out dial can be calibrated to read in millemeters, or any other selected unit of measure.

As best shown in FIG. 3, a digital indicator indexing stub shaft 57 extends from the back panel of the indicator housing. The housing 54 is mounted in a bracket 58, which in turn is secured to therocker member 22 for reciprocal movement with the rocker member about the axis of the mounting pin 24. Also mounted in the bracket 58, adjacent and normal to the indexing shaft 57, is a stub shaft 60. A pair of bevel gears 62 and 64 are mounted on the ends of the shafts 57 and respectively for driving engagment therebetween. A spur gear pinion 66 is mounted on the opposite end of stub shaft 60, for driven engagement with spur gear 68 mounted on adjusting screw 30.

OPERATION Referring again to FIG. I, when it is necessary to adjust the advance of the feed rolls 50-52, the operator will energize the air motor 28, while observing the digital read-out dial. Upon actuation of the air motor 28, adjusting screw 30 shifts adjusting block 36 in ways 38 of rocker member 22. While this is occurring, adjusting screw 30 also turns spur gear 68 which drives spur gear pinion 66 on stub shaft 60. With the rotation of stub shaft 60, meshing bevel gears 62 and 64 turn to rotate indexing shaft 57 of the digital read-out mechanism.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the drive means between the adjusting screw 30 and the indexing shaft 57 is designed to index the digital read-out indicator dial 56 one unit for every thousandth of an inch of change in feed length of the material being fed. Thus the operator may watch the read-out dial 56 and, by suitably activating and deactivating the air motor 28, may very closely control the length of material being fed by rolls 50 and 52. Since the digital indicator 54 is mounted where it is subject to the least possible reciprocating motion, the roll feed can be adjusted during actual working of the press, and the operator can observe the amount of adjustment which he is making with facility and with great precision.

In the preferred embodiment, in order to obtain a read-out of one thousandth of an inch on the read-out dial 55; for every one thousandth of an inch of material being fed by rolls 50 and 52, the pair of bevel gears 62 and 64 have a one to one gear ratio, whereas the spur gear pinion 66 and spur gear 68 have a 0.850 to 7.00 gear ratio. There are 17 teeth on the pinion gear 66 and 140 teeth on the spur gear 68. It will of course be apparent to those skilled in the art that this relationship may be changed as desired to provide a lesser or greater increment of read-out on the digital indicator 54. It is also contemplated that in lieu of a gear drive, rolling surfaces may be employed such as rubber mounted wheels. It is also contemplated that in lieu of a single large spur gear 68, a combination of smaller drive and idler spur gears may be employed so long as the gear ratio desiredis obtained. It is also within the contemplation of this invention that the adjusting screw 30 may be connected to the stub shaft 60 by chain and sprocket means to provide a desired ratio of turning between the adjusting screw 30 and the indexing shaft 62.

It is to be understood that while a single preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated in the drawings herein, and several alternate embodiments have been described, these embodiments are by way of example only and are not to be construed in a limiting sense. Other similar arrangements and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. lncombination with a press roll feed having a connecting rod eccentrically securable to one end of a press crank shaft; a rocker member pivotally securable to the press, the other end of said connecting rod being :secured to said rocker member to reciprocate said rocker about its pivotal axis; an adjusting block shiftably secured to said rocker member; a rotatable adjusting screw engaging said adjusting block to shift it on said rocker member; means to rotate said adjusting screw, and roll feed drive means drivingly secured to said adjusting block, the improvement in means to measure and to observe adjustment of said adjusting block comprising:

a digital indicator mounted on the pivotal axis of said rocker member having visually observable dials; means to index said dials, and drive means between said adjusting screw and said digital indicator indexing means to produce a linear read-out on said digital indicator dials equal to the length of material being fed by the roll feed.

2. The device set forth in claim 1, wherein said means to index said digital indicator dials comprises a digital indicator indexing shaft, and means drivingly connecting said adjusting screw to said indexing shaft, said means being adapted to provide said digital read-out on said digital indicator dials equal to the length of material being fed by the roll feed.

3. The device set forth in claim 2, wherein said means comprises a stub shaft mounted adjacent and normal to said indexing shaft; a first frusto-conical rolling drive element on said indexing shaft; a second frusto-conical rolling drive element on one end of said stub shaft in rolling engagement with said first frusto-conical rolling drive element; a first cylindrical rolling drive element on the other end of said stub shaft; and a second cylindrical rolling drive element on the end of said adjusting screw in rolling engagement with said first cylindrical rolling drive element.

4. The device set forth in claim 3, wherein said digital indicator is mounted on a bracket secured to said rocker member, and said stub shaft is rotatably mounted on said bracket.

5. The device set forth in claim 3, wherein the drive ratio between said first and second frusto-conical rolling drive elements is in the order of 1.1; and the drive ratio between said first and second cylindrical rolling drive elements is of the order of 0.850:7.000.

6. The device set forth in claim 1, wherein said means to index the dial of said digital indicator to provide a digital read-out comprises a digital indicator indexing shaft; and gear means drivingly connecting said adjusting screw to said indexing shaft; said gear means being adapted to provide a gear reduction whereby the linear shift of said adjusting block will provide a movement of the material being fed by the roll feed equivalent to the read-out on said digital indicator dial.

7. The device set forth in claim 6, wherein said digital read-out is in increments of one thousandth of a unit of linear measure.

8. The device set forth in claim 6, wherein said digital read-out is in increments of one thousandths of an inch.

9. The device set forth in claim 6 wherein said digital read-out is in millimeters.

10. The device set forth in claim 6, wherein said gear means comprises a first bevel gear secured to said indexing shaft; a stub shaft rotatably mounted normal to said indexing shaft; a second bevel gear mounted on one end of said stub shaft in driving engagement with said first bevel gear; a first spur gear mounted on the other end of said stub shaft; and a second spur gear mounted on said adjusting screw in driving engagement with said first spur gear.

1 l. The device set forth in claim 10, wherein said digital indicator is mounted on a bracket secured to said rocker member, and said stub shaft is rotatably mounted on said bracket.

12. The device set forth in claim 10, wherein said first and second bevel gears have a gear ratio of 1:1; said first spur gear has a gear ratio with said second spur gear of 17:140; and said first spur gear has a pitch diameter ratio with said second spur gear of 0.850:7.000.

13. The device set forth in claim 10, wherein said first and second bevel gears have a gear ratio of l:1; said first spur gear has 17 teeth and a pitch diameter of 0.850 inches; and said second spur gear has teeth and a pitch diameter of 7.000 inches. 

1. In combination with a press roll feed having a connecting rod eccentrically securable to one end of a press crank shaft; a rocker member pivotally securable to the press, the other end of said connecting rod being secured to said rocker member to reciprocate said rocker about its pivotal axis; an adjusting block shiftably secured to said rocker member; a rotatable adjusting screw engaging said adjusting block to shift it on said rocker member; means to rotate said adjusting screw, and roll feed drive means drivingly secured to said adjusting block, the improvement in means to measure and to observe adjustment of said adjusting block comprising: a digital indicator mounted on the pivotal axis of said rocker member having visually observable dials; means to index said dials, and drive means between said adjusting screw and said digital indicator indexing means to produce a linear read-out on said digital indicator dials equal to the length of material being fed by the roll feed.
 2. The device set forth in claim 1, wherein said means to index said digital indicator dials comprises a digital indicator indexing shaft, and means drivingly connecting said adjusting screw to said indexing shaft, said means being adapted to provide said digital read-out on said digital indicator dials equal to the length of material being fed by the roll feed.
 3. The device set forth in claim 2, wherein said means comprises a stub shaft mounted adjacent and normal to said indexing shaft; a first frusto-conical rolling drive element on said indexing shaft; a second frusto-conical rolling drive element on one end of said stub shaft in rolling engagement with said first frusto-conical rolling drive element; a first cylindrical rolling drive element on the other end of said stub shaft; and a second cylindrical rolling drive element on the end of said adjusting screw in rolling engagement with said first cylindrical rolling drive element.
 4. The device set forth in claim 3, wherein said digital indicator is mounted on a bracket secured to said rocker member, and said stub shaft is rotatably mounted on said bracket.
 5. The device set forth in claim 3, wherein the drive ratio between said first and second frusto-conical rolling drive elements is in the order of 1.1; and the drive ratio between said first and second cylindrical rolling drive elements is of the order of 0.850:7.000.
 6. The device set forth in claim 1, wherein said means to index the dial of said digital indicatOr to provide a digital read-out comprises a digital indicator indexing shaft; and gear means drivingly connecting said adjusting screw to said indexing shaft; said gear means being adapted to provide a gear reduction whereby the linear shift of said adjusting block will provide a movement of the material being fed by the roll feed equivalent to the read-out on said digital indicator dial.
 7. The device set forth in claim 6, wherein said digital read-out is in increments of one thousandth of a unit of linear measure.
 8. The device set forth in claim 6, wherein said digital read-out is in increments of one thousandths of an inch.
 9. The device set forth in claim 6 wherein said digital read-out is in millimeters.
 10. The device set forth in claim 6, wherein said gear means comprises a first bevel gear secured to said indexing shaft; a stub shaft rotatably mounted normal to said indexing shaft; a second bevel gear mounted on one end of said stub shaft in driving engagement with said first bevel gear; a first spur gear mounted on the other end of said stub shaft; and a second spur gear mounted on said adjusting screw in driving engagement with said first spur gear.
 11. The device set forth in claim 10, wherein said digital indicator is mounted on a bracket secured to said rocker member, and said stub shaft is rotatably mounted on said bracket.
 12. The device set forth in claim 10, wherein said first and second bevel gears have a gear ratio of 1:1; said first spur gear has a gear ratio with said second spur gear of 17:140; and said first spur gear has a pitch diameter ratio with said second spur gear of 0.850:7.000.
 13. The device set forth in claim 10, wherein said first and second bevel gears have a gear ratio of 1:1; said first spur gear has 17 teeth and a pitch diameter of 0.850 inches; and said second spur gear has 140 teeth and a pitch diameter of 7.000 inches. 